The investment from OCIF will support the ACT Hub, with the goal of fast-tracking the development of new construction technology and modernized manufacturing processes
Using robots or automation to build houses may not be a mainstream practice yet, but a nearly million-dollar investment in a Calgary-based technology institute aims to change that.
Hoping to help revolutionize the local construction and manufacturing industries, the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF) announced a $996,000 investment in SAIT’s Centre for Innovation and Research in Advanced Manufacturing and Materials on Thursday.
The funding will support the post-secondary institute’s Alternative Construction Technologies (ACT) Hub, with the goal of fast-tracking the development of new construction technology and modernized manufacturing processes.
While not yet fully operational, the ACT Hub will function as a training facility for the material science and industrial automation disciplines. It will also provide SAIT students a laboratory to work with state-of-the-art equipment, develop their technical skills and collaborate with companies in a hands-on environment.
OCIF is the investment arm of Calgary Economic Development. Since it was established in 2018, the fund has invested nearly $84 million in 30 projects to spur local economic development, create jobs and bolster innovation.
Work-integrated learning
The funding announced Thursday will support 36 local companies and train 24 individuals from 2024 to 2027, according to an OCIF news release.
“We’re incredibly excited by the opportunity this gives small to medium-sized enterprises to interact with researchers and students to help develop innovation for this sector to solve real-world problems, right here in Calgary,” said Brad Parry, the CEO and president of Calgary Economic Development.
“Getting our students hands-on experience is key to the work-integrated learning work that we do in the community right now.”
One of the challenges the ACT Hub will focus on is how the construction sector can respond to Calgary’s ever-growing demand for more housing.
Enterprises and students who access the ACT Hub will research how to use robotics, 3D printing or automated modular construction to build prefabricated homes more efficiently and sustainably.
The hub could also fuel innovations in the development of carbon-negative building products, upcycling construction materials or creating new green composite materials for construction-related applications.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek, who was at SAIT for Thursday’s announcement, called OCIF’s funding an important investment to support Calgary’s construction industry.
While she acknowledged it won’t alleviate an ongoing labour shortage, Gondek noted the ACT Hub’s innovation will be another tool to help deliver housing.
“This investment is . . . going to result in construction projects that can be completed faster, at a higher quality, at a lower cost and with less environmental impact,” she said.
“Provision of housing is something that is top of mind for all Calgarians right now, so to have this partnership with the tech sector and with SAIT is unbeatable.”
Investment will help ‘push the boundaries’: construction association
Bill Black, the president and CEO of the Calgary Construction Association, said OCIF’s investment in the ACT Hub will unlock tremendous opportunities for research and development in the construction industry.
He added that leveraging the hub’s findings can help the sector “push the boundaries” of what is possible in construction.
“This initiative will pave the way for breakthroughs in efficiency, sustainability and quality, ultimately transforming how we build our communities while setting Calgary apart as a leader in construction innovation,” he said in a statement to Postmedia.
‘Catalyst for bold thinkers’
Another speaker at SAIT on Thursday was Aman Adatia, the CEO and co-founder of Epok Enterprises — a Calgary-based startup that will use assembly-line-style automation to build houses.
As a member of the ACT Hub’s advisory board, Adatia said he saw first-hand the role the hub could play in advancing technologies in an industry he feels has been “traditionally starved of dedicated research and development resources.”
He added multidisciplinary research institutes such as the ACT are vital to fuelling innovation and productivity, adding it can also help bridge a gap between research development and practical application.
“The ACT Hub is a catalyst for bold thinkers and builders — visionaries ready to develop, commercialize and scale novel solutions right here in Calgary.”